


The Domino Effect (And Its Destructive Properties)

by MCMXCV



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: "wrong parts", 'verse typical g!p, A/B/O, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Curses, F/F, Lesbian Sex, Magic, Mating Cycles/In Heat, OT3, Omegaverse, Polyamory, Pre-Curse Breaking, Prophecy, Slow Burn, Threesome - F/F/F, True Love, Vaginal Fisting, and finally if you yell at me for making this a threesome, cursed body, i will come to your house and put grass in your food, like bear with me the turntable is broken and the bass wont drop slow, the author is having an affair with commas and is sorry in advance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-07
Updated: 2018-01-30
Packaged: 2018-05-05 10:42:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5372366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MCMXCV/pseuds/MCMXCV
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><em>God this was fucking hard. All of the words and emotions that had been tucked away over the years, things that were never meant to see the light of day, all caught up in her her throat at once. It was painful, having so many feelings. </em><br/> </p><p>  <em>So she started with the obvious. “How did he find me?”</em><br/> </p><p>When Emma Swan's biological son turns up one day, she's beyond unprepared to be his parent, much less the savior from a decades old prophecy.</p><p>After she meets Regina and Ruby, she considers it anyway.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again! So this is that thing I mentioned...
> 
> So when I first started this story way back in the day there were virtually no omegaverse Swanqueen fics and I had this whole long explanation and blah blah blah... Now I think you can probably just google like a human.

_“I found my real mom!”_

_“You’re Henry’s birth mother?”_

_“Hi…”_

-

God this was fucking hard. All of the words and emotions that had been tucked away over the years, things that were never meant to see the light of day, all caught up in her her throat at once. It was painful, having so many _feelings_.

So she started with the obvious. “How did he find me?”

The mayor, _Regina_ , didn’t seem evil. In fact she seemed like exactly the kind of worried, loving, if slightly overbearing mother that a much younger Emma had dreamt about having for herself. And she was honest, telling Emma that the records were sealed and that she hadn’t really looked into it but

“I was told the birth mother didn’t want to have any contact.”

Emma winced. “You were told right.” She had wanted to forget.

But that question seemed to open a floodgate. “And the father?”

“There was one.” Emma just wanted to go home. She didn’t want to have this conversation with the beautiful omega woman who had adopted her child. She wanted to run and keep running. She wanted to sell her apartment in case he came back and move to Wyoming and never speak of this night again. But alas:

“Do I need to be worried about them?”

“Nope. He doesn’t even know.” Short, clipped responses. Be honest, then get the fuck out.

“Do I need to be worried about you, Miss Swan?”

This woman would not stop until she knew her son was safe, and much as she hated having old wounds torn open, Emma could respect that.

“Mayor Mills,” she said, “Henry seems like a wonderful kid. I’m glad that my genes may have helped with that, but… I’m not- I don’t,” she groaned in frustration. “I’m sorry, I haven’t spoken about this in over ten years, bear with me.

“Henry’s father’s was older than I was. Too old, but seventeen year old me thought that it was sexy or something, I dunno. Mostly I just wanted someone to love me, and he did, in a way. He got me pregnant and then had me arrested after talking me into helping him commit a crime. I was still in prison when I gave birth. And I only had a few months left but… I wasn’t ready to be a mother. I didn’t want to be a mother. I… I still don’t, to be honest. It’s not- that isn’t me.”

The other woman regarded Emma curiously for a long minute, while the blonde did everything in her power to avoid her gaze. She knew it was unusual for an omega to not want children. Almost unheard of, actually. In fact it could be almost painful.

There were institutions for barren omegas. Hospitals specifically for men and women who couldn’t handle the emotional (and societal, though really, it was 2011, come on) repercussions of not being able to bear children. And here was Emma Swan, suffering emotional trauma from just the opposite.

The mayor looked at her for a long moment before saying, “There is a Bed & Breakfast on Main Street, Miss Swan, if you would prefer to drive home in the morning. I would not be opposed to Henry asking you any questions he may have, if that is something you would be comfortable with.” That unnerving gaze remained fixed on Emma.

“Um, yeah that’d be okay, I think. Uh, we can set something up? I don’t have to work for a few days, maybe we could get lunch and talk? It’s… It’s Saturday right? Henry doesn’t have school?”

If she didn’t feel on the verge of a breakdown, Emma might have noticed the mayor’s mouth twitch just slightly in the direction of a smile.

“Yes, I think lunch would be perfect,” the mayor said, standing. Emma followed her lead and held out her hand to shake.

“Thank you for being so understanding. I promise, I’m not here to barge into your life or his. I’ll answer his questions and then be out of your hair.”

-

_Snow White and Prince Charming sit at a huge round table in their castle in the Enchanted Forest. The Blue Fairy sits to one side, hand on Snow White’s knee as she explains:_

“The tree can only send one.”

Here, the fairy pauses, and any outside observer may have suggested that this was for dramatic effect, however the Queen and her prince consort were too distraught to notice anything amiss.

“There is another matter, Your Majesties. The land on the other side of this portal, it has no magic. Their customs will be very strange compared to our own, particularly in regard to, er, _designation_.” She whispered the word, as the asexual fairies were meant to be very prudish about such things.

“What do you mean?” Snow asked.

“When there are no magical creatures to keep the natural order, a world can become… unbalanced. Humans without magic can go insane with power. They put strange laws in place, and create hostile environments for things that they do not understand. It is a land wracked with violence and war.”

Prince Charming became clearly distressed at these words, “And you expect us to throw our infant child into this world!”

“Please,” soothed the Blue Fairy “let me finish. Now, the child will be born soon. This portal is the only one we have ready and we have no way of predicting the dark curse. However, if the child should come before the curse, then there is something that can be done.”

“Anything!” exclaimed the Queen.

“Wonderful,” said the fairy, and she explained her plan. Since fairies could, of course, not use dark magic, a shaman would be summoned to place a curse on the babe. Being of royal blood, the child was sure to be an alpha. This curse would mask her as a non-threatening omega to the people of the Land Without Magic, in hopes that she would be left alone until the time came for the Savior to return.

It was a perfect plan, the fairy assured, placating smile plastered perfectly on her face.

-

_Elsewhere in the Enchanted Forest, another queen paces in her bedchamber._

She is agitated and uncomfortable, the first vestiges of heat creeping up and over her every cell and pore. She had thought that, in making herself barren to spite her mother, her heats would be stopped as well. Thus, she had not taken, or even prepared, the suppressing potion.

With a growl, she composed herself and threw open the door. She stalked in the direction of the east wing where she had been called to the throne room. It was easy enough to cover her scent with a spell, but the discomfort remained. She was sure to make everyone aware of her displeasure.

“The realm had better be on the brink of collapse if you’re summoning me at this time of night,” she snapped at the poor footman who greeted her. He wisely chose to remain silent, only gesturing timidly to the small group in the middle of the room.

Despite the hour and her utter discomfort, Regina managed to make it onto the dias gracefully. Once seated, she gestured to the guards to reveal their prize. And a prize it certainly must be, if it took five of them to guard it.

“Majesty, if I may?” one of them asked. She nodded for him to continue and he stepped aside, revealing a beautiful young woman. A _familiar_ young woman. “A known ally of Snow White, found outside the palace gate.”

Regina merely raised an eyebrow. How peculiar. “Was she trying to break in?” she asked.

“No, Majesty, er, she appears to be seeking asylum.” He seemed as apprehensive as she felt, though she, of course, maintained a perfectly bored façade.

“Leave us.” And in the blink of an eye, she and the girl were alone. “Speak.”

“Your guard spoke the truth, I come seeking refuge. I would offer you my service in exchange for assurance that I would otherwise be allowed to live peacefully within your kingdom.” The girl was soft spoken, but self assured, and Regina liked her instantly. That did not, however, mean that she could be trusted.

“I’m supposed to simply take it in good faith that you’re not acting as a spy?” Surely the girl didn’t think that she could just arbitrarily switch sides without recompense.

“Of course not, Majesty, but if it pleases the Queen, I would like to... present my case?”

The girl had clearly spent time in court. She would be a useful asset, if she proved trustworthy. Her curiosity winning over, Regina nodded.

“The Blue Fairy has been telling Snow White things. No one knows what, but, she’s... changed. She has become fearful of magical creatures, though there are no more ogres and my grandmother and I have served her faithfully for years. We were- we were _friends_ for years.” The girl paused, clearly emotional about the now severed friendship.

“Yours is the only kingdom in this realm that has outlawed the poaching of magical creatures. Your coffers are full, despite the war, and even your peasant class thrives. Snow White, she means no ill will toward anyone, but the Blue Fairy has caused her goodness to become so misguided…

“Humans are hungry, and in my experience, bloodlust and hunger tend to go hand in hand. I fear for my life and the lives of my people. In fact, most of the wolves have already moved on, but I cannot travel to find them on my own. My grandmother is too old to travel so far, and too loyal to Snow White to follow me here. I am alone, and I ask you, I _beg_ you for shelter.”

Regina sat in thought for a long while. She had the magical means to be sure of the girl’s honesty and allegiance, and the thought of lording Snow White’s best friend over her head was simply too much too deny. Decision made, she stood.

“What is your name, girl?” she asked. For a moment it seemed as though the girl could collapse in relief, but she pulled herself together to stand tall and say

“They call me Red.”


	2. Chapter 2

Emma woke the next morning to a crick in her neck and an overall feeling of discomfort and... _icky_ -ness. A shower was helpful, but having to put yesterday’s clothes back on was not. She caught herself in the mirror for just a moment, but quickly looked away and exited the room.

She wandered the streets of Storybrooke for a while before being subjected to the curious gaze of every single person she passed became tiresome, at which point she headed to the wharf.

Emma had always been a fan of a good beach. She hadn’t been able to go until she was nearly twenty, having spend most of her life with foster homes in landlocked states, and she did not take for granted the rare opportunity she was given as an adult.

She was startled out of her peaceful moment by the sound of crunching sand and rock. The wind was blowing in her face, so it was a moment before the warm scent of cinnamon and soft omega hit her and she smirked.

“Couldn’t wait until lunch?.”

-

When Regina chose to walk to the little cove under the docks, the last person she expected to find was Emma Swan.

“This is Henry’s favorite spot, I come here sometimes to think,” she said in place of a proper greeting. If Emma was surprised by her abruptness, she said nothing.

There was something strange about the woman, though Regina couldn’t quite place what.

“I’m sorry,” said Emma. “I’ll go.”

“Stay.” Regina had no idea what could have possessed her to blurt out that response. It was very undignified, blurting, and what’s worse, she found that once she had started she couldn’t stop. “May I ask you a question?”

Miss Swan was clearly hesitant, but responded in the positive in what was clearly an effort not to be rude. Regina admired her bravery, at least, because she seemed to have no control over what was coming out of her mouth.

“Yesterday... Yesterday you said that you’ve never wanted children. May I ask why?”

It was a long, tense moment before the other woman finally answered.

“It isn’t that I don’t want children,” she began. “I um, I’m an orphan, I grew up in foster care. I always swore that one day I would adopt a hundred kids and give them a good home. It isn’t that I don’t want kids.” She took a deep breath before continuing, “I’m not really an omega.” This was clearly where Regina was supposed to have some terrible, shocked reaction, but the Queen had heard much stranger things. Had cursed people in much stranger ways.

After another long pause, Miss Swan finally continued hesitantly, “After Neal, after _Henry_ , I finally went to the therapist I probably should have been seeing for years. I told him about Neal, about how it had never been _right_ and he sent me to a trans-designation specialist. Except, I wasn’t trans-designation, just… different. Intersex, sort of. I have um, god this is the epitome of oversharing, stop me at any time please…” But Regina was curious, and had never been good at boundaries, so the poor girl kept going. It was fascinating to watch, really, how her brain kept supplying the information, though her mouth was clearly reluctant to spit it out. _Oh that mouth_ …

Regina came back to herself to hear, “My heats have always been weird, and after an extensive number of tests, we figured out that it was because they were actually ruts. And um, my pheromones are alpha-based. That’s why I’ve always drawn omegas to me so easily. They think Neal was just obsessed with me, and that’s why he didn’t notice. He was a beta, so his nose wasn’t too good anyway, I guess. He just had good genes or something, that’s why he was able to get me-”

“Thank you Miss Swan, that’s quite enough.” The woman appeared to deflate about a mile at being cut off, but she seemed relieved for it, so. “I appreciate you sharing that with me,” Regina continued, more softly. “I suppose giving birth, that must have been awful for you.” It wasn’t really meant to be a question, but the younger woman responded, regardless.

“Very. I have the, er, the parts, so to speak, but my body wasn’t designed to carry children. It was long, and painful from start to finish. I vomited nearly every day, my body treated the embryo like a parasite. My feet swelled to the point of pain in the later months, and my back still hurts sometimes. I’m still grateful that it wasn’t a litter. It probably would have killed me to carry more than one.”

“Why didn’t you terminate?” This, Regina had wondered since the other woman had stated that she didn’t want to be a mother. It seemed a simple enough resolution.

The blonde looked away briefly before answering, “By the time I found out what was making me so sick, it was too late to terminate. I wanted to, but… I was in prison. I was already five months along and it- it was just too late.”

Regina didn’t respond, but she awkwardly placed a hand on Miss Swan’s shoulder in an effort to be comforting.

-

Ruby was nearly finished the closing process when the bell above the door rang. She looked, up, ready to bitch about the difficulty of reading a damn sign when she caught the scent of her imprinted. With a huge smile, she practically skipped to her love, allowing the other woman to place kisses on her shoulder, neck, forehead, nose, before tilting her head to demand a proper kiss. The woman gave a low chuckle before acquiescing.

“Did you talk to the new girl?” she asked, curious about the blonde beauty currently renting one of the rarely used rooms above the diner.

Her omega hummed and kissed her again before answering, “Yes, Henry had plenty of questions for her at lunch. He was very disappointed that she couldn't give him a full genealogical history, but I think he’s satisfied.”

Ruby giggled, Henry wasn’t the most typical of ten year olds, but he was still predictable. “I love that kid so damn much,” she laughed. She didn’t really mean much by it, he was as much her son as he was Regina’s, of course she loved him, but the way Regina’s face lit up at those words had the taller woman melting. “There’s something else, isn’t there?” she noticed.

“Yes. I- I saw her this morning as well, and, darling I think she’s the one. In fact, I know she’s the one,” Regina said seriously.

Ruby stilled. They had known this day was coming. Twenty eight years was plenty of time to wait for a savior to show up. That wasn’t Ruby’s concern, though.

Regina was the one to voice the thought aloud, “I don’t know if I’m ready to share you. I don’t know if I want an alpha. It’s been so long since...” Ruby held her imprinted closer. She was a beta, and it had been nearly three decades without her alpha wolf, but she could still feel the distress rolling off of her omega in waves and it was making her anxious. The instinct to protect the smaller woman was so strong that, wolf or no, she still could have taken down the strongest alpha in town to keep her safe at this moment.

“It’ll be alright, sweetheart,” she said. “We knew she was coming. She has to break the curse eventually, but we can take as long as we want with… the other part. There’s nothing forcing us to bond her, it’s not like we have to do it tomorrow. Relax, my love, you’ll have every alpha within three blocks breaking and entering.” And she did, leaning into her beta’s side as they made their way to the exit. Ruby locked the diner’s front door behind them, and the two women walked hand in hand back to Mifflin Street.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't like this chapter so much, I'm sorry if it was disappointing. The next one has one of my favorite scenes though, so hopefully that'll make up for this mess.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter tried so hard to be smutty, I'm so sorry...
> 
> This one is a bit longer, and I'm not saying it's to make up for my terrible smut, but yeah that's exactly why I cut it this way.

_Somewhere in the forest of the Dark Kingdom, the Queen sits in a small glade with an enormous ebony wolf wrapped around her. The moonlight is brilliant and woodsprites dance on their laughter. A beautiful chestnut steed grazes on the far side of the clearing, uninterested in this scene._

Regina waves her hand gracefully back and forth and giggles again as the tiny specks of lights swirl around it. She feels more than hears her wolf give a contented sigh and turns to nuzzle into her great neck. She is so, so happy.

And maybe that’s what makes him appear. The sheer goodness of this moment must have stood out like a beacon to his darkness.

Red growls and waits for the Queen to stand before getting up to pace behind her menacingly. The dark one merely smiles before freezing her in place. That, more than anything, serves to anger the witch he has come to see.

“Now now, My Queen, is that anyway to greet an old friend?” he asks with a mock pout.

“I have known you for years, Rumplestiltskin, and you are indeed very old, but we have never been friends. What do you want?” She tries to make her voice threatening, but Red has made her soft. Has healed her. The Evil Queen the realm once knew is dead or dying, and the Dark One is all too aware.

“Well we had a deal, dearie, and here I find out that you’ve traded the most valuable curse in the history of Magick for a simple sleeping draught? Tisk tisk, I’m afraid your mistake will have to be rectified!” A sinister grin took over his face as he raised a glowing hand toward the wolf.

“No! Wait please!”

“What’s that? So you’ll do it then? Wonderful. You have until the new moon, or things will get… messy.” And then he was gone.

Regina fell to her knees and cried. The wolf tripped as it regained autonomy. The sprites had long gone away and clouds now covered the beautiful full moon. The horse continued grazing.

-

Emma decides to stick around. The mayor doesn’t seem to hate her, and the kid is certainly not shy about his hero worship, and even the mayor’s girlfriend isn’t as hostile as the rest of the town seems to be.

The rest of the town. She had no idea that a small fishing village in the middle of nowhere could be this distrustful of a stranger. Obviously the little town wasn’t a tourist hotspot, but surely they had had some visitors before? Yet the general attitude of most everyone around her seemed to be that she was some sort of snake, lying in wait.

Except for Mary Margaret, bless the girl, she had offered Emma her spare room the moment she’d seen her looking at the classifieds. Of course, when asked she explained that it was because she was already a pariah for dating a married man…

Little victories, Emma supposed.

Speaking of said married man (“Separated! Not that this damn town cares…”), he just happened to be her new boss. A younger Emma Swan would never in a hundred thousand years have predicted that she would become a small town deputy. Take that, every teacher she’d ever had. She was capable of making something of herself after all.

Lunches at the diner with Henry became a regular occurrence once it had become apparent that she wasn’t leaving. At first it had been at Henry’s insistence, and Regina had agreed on the condition that they go during Ruby’s shift so she could keep an eye on them. This had turned into Ruby joining them, and subsequently befriending the blonde stranger.

Ruby was unexpected, but not unwelcome. And she was gorgeous, oh man was she gorgeous. Those legs made Emma want to curl up and die right between them and wow these were not thoughts to be having when right across the table from a ten year old.

“And then Bruce said that Lavender told him she overheard Miss H., that’s our principal, say that it might be nice to give every class that had 100% participation a pizza party and-”

“Hey Henry, I’ve got some extra milkshake from my last table, you want it?” Thank the gods for Ruby. Emma gave her a grateful smile, to which she got a heart-stopping wink in return. Dear Jesus.

Ten minutes later, Henry had spotted some friends from school and, with Ruby’s permission, had ditched Emma. She slumped over the bar when the door closed, and felt a sympathetic hand on her elbow.

“He’s the best kid,” said Ruby, “but he could talk straight through armageddon and not take a breath.”

Emma sighed in relief. “He really is a great kid, you and Regina should be so proud, but… Maybe I’m just really not cut out for this parenting stuff. Thank you for the save, before.”

“No problem and hey, don’t sell yourself short. You’ve been at this for three weeks. We’ve been handling that motor mouth for ten years,” she smiled breathtakingly.

“Whoa,” Emma breathed. The other woman scrunched her eyebrows in confusion and it was adorable and Emma practically fell off of her stool. “I mean, uh, yeah! You’re right. I guess it just takes practice, huh?”

Ruby just smirked.

-

_We find the Queen pacing again, this time deep in thought._

Regina was stuck. The wolf-girl was beautiful to be sure, and she had taken measures to ensure her loyalty, but there was no way of knowing what sort of reaction her request would have. Had it been anyone else, she simply would have taken what she wanted, but she had long grown bored of the huntsman and the wolf was perhaps the one person in this world with whom the queen found herself on equal footing. She could curse the girl into oblivion, but she might be torn to shreds before she had the chance. Tricky business.

In the end, her discomfort was too great to ignore, and there was no one else she could go to. To be honest, there was no one else she desired. Perhaps it was because her last heat had been filled with the sound and scent and thoughts of the dangerous creature, but now she was all the Queen could think of. It was a new moon, at least, so the worst that could happen was a rejection.

But really, wasn’t that the most terrifying of possibilities?

It didn’t take nearly long enough to reach the wolf’s rooms. She had been given a suite within the palace, at first to keep an eye on her, then because the queen had grown to like her snark and found immeasurable pleasure in watching her council be verbally berated by someone without the word “evil” in their title.

The Queen poised to knock, but the door swung open before she could make up her mind whether to actually do it. She tried not to physically startle but, if the girl’s wince were any indication, failed horribly.

“Sorry,” said the wolf, “I could hear you coming and I could smell you at the door and I can never stand… Nevermind. What can I do for Her Majesty this evening?” The poor girl practically squeaked the last sentence, and the Queen narrowed her eyes.

“You can never stand… what exactly?”

“My um, my sense of smell is very strong. Even… even if my human body weren’t a beta, I would still be much more sensitive than most.” She gives the Queen a meaningful look, but Regina is too distracted by the strong, earthy scents coming off of the wolf. It was like her body was compensating for the lack of moonlight, thought the Queen. _Or maybe you’re in heat, foolish girl._

She said none of this aloud, of course, choosing instead to simply ignore propriety entirely and enter the girls chamber. “I’m sorry dear, I must have gotten lost in thought, what were you saying?” She thought she sounded innocent enough, but the other woman looked incredulous.

“Re- My Queen… Are you… You see I can smell… What I mean to ask is, um…”

Regina put the poor thing out of her misery. “Yes, dear. Stop before you hurt yourself. It’s why I’m here actually.”

“Here?”

“Yes you idiot, here, in your rooms, where you are.”

“Sorry, I’m just… I don’t think you understand how affected by you I am.”

The omega smirked and stalked towards the other woman. Gray eyes widened as the younger brunette stumbled backward. “Oh don’t worry dearest, I understand just fine. Now, you’re aware of my little... predicament, and I’m certainly aware of yours… What if we were to help each other?”

She gulped, but how could she say no to this offer? Forget that she was being propositioned by a queen, she was being propositioned by the woman regarded as most beautiful in the realm! So of course she agreed, of course. And the Queen wasted no time. With a nod of her head, their mouths were brought together in a furious gnashing of teeth and tongue and if Red hadn’t been wet before, she certainly was now.

“Oh!” she cried as Her Majesty pulled away to lay searing kisses down her neck. That was good. “Oh yes, My Queen!” Suddenly the kisses stopped, and that was not good. “Wha-”

“When we are alone,” said the Queen, “you may call me Regina.”

The taller woman smiled and smiled. While "Regina" was a perfectly respectable title for a queen, it was one never used for Her Majesty, lest reverence be confused for familiarity. Being given this small gift made her heart ache in her chest. “You may call me Ruby, if you wish. That is my real name.”

The Queen, Regina, turned practically feral at these words, and Ruby melted under her tongue-lips-teeth. But Her Majesty didn’t come to her rooms to play with a beta’s neck, so with a small show of strength, Ruby lifted Regina by her thighs and carried her to the bedchamber, where the Queen flicked her wrist to close the door without ever separating their lips.

She tossed the small woman onto the bed before crawling up to kneel over her. She opened her mouth to say something, but was distracted when she suddenly found herself naked. Looking into the Queen’s eyes, she found mischief and challenge. But Ruby would not back down, and slowly, slowly, she began to kiss her way down down down olive neck-chest-breasts-stomach… until she reached her destination at the apex of two glorious thighs. She nuzzled thick black curls and glanced up into brown eyes, pupils blown so wide they were nearly black. Ruby knew what the omega needed, but she couldn’t help giving a cursory swipe from bottom to top with her tongue. Regina mewled impatiently and canted her hips in want, and though the girl wanted to hold on a bit longer, taste a bit more, the wolf gave in.

Slowly, slowly, she slid a single digit along wet folds. She continued with this motion until the omega beneath her was panting, and then without warning slipped three fingers into her. The Queen cried out in relief, but it didn’t last long. She tried to grind down on the fingers, and sobbed when it wasn’t enough. She was too swollen, too ready, too wet. Her hips bucked again and again, chasing a knot that simply wasn’t there. But Ruby was ready, and when she felt the omega’s walls flutter, helplessly seeking friction, she slipped in her fourth finger. As Regina cried out and undulated, she sucked those fingers in deeper and deeper until they were well past the knuckle.

Ruby waited until her inner walls relaxed for a moment, then pulled her hand out halfway. The omega whined low in her throat, and if there had been any alphas nearby, the sound of distress would have had doors breaking down in all directions. When Regina’s eyes shut again and her pussy began clenching around Ruby’s digits once more, the beta squeezed her thumb into the crook of her other fingers and let the woman’s pulsating walls pull her hand in. Finally, she began to feel the telltale clenching that meant they would soon be locked, and Ruby slowly, carefully, curled her fingers and made a fist. Regina screamed and sobbed, finally full like she had been craving for days, so full of fingers and pleasure she couldn’t stand it, and she promptly passed out.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No I haven't abandoned this story! I'm just an incredibly busy person who is also incredibly unmotivated. I am so grateful for all of your comments and kudos! They really encouraged me to pick this back up. I think about it all the time, I just haven't really had the motivation to put it on "paper" so to speak. Anyways, it'll be a slow process, but this story will be finished!! Eventually!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love the idea of the Enchanted Forest having a whole career path for people who can decipher prophecies.

“So, how long have you and Regina been together?” Emma immediately winced. “I’m sorry, it’s none of my business. Just… you know… curious,” she finished lamely.

Ruby chuckled. She paused for a minute before answering. “It’s okay. We’ve been together… god it must be going on fifteen years now?” That sounded okay, she supposed. She couldn’t very well tell Emma they’d been together nearly thirty-three years, could she? That they had been cursed to live the same day over and over for twenty-eight years, but she and Regina were the only ones to retain their memories, and every day felt like a new adventure with her love. God she was a fucking sap.

“Wow that’s… that’s amazing! You guys must’ve been high school sweethearts, huh?”

Ruby smiled sadly. They had been so young. “Something like that, yeah.”

-

“You and the savior have gotten close.”

Ruby looked up from her book to find her partner leaning against the door jam, looking radiant and elegant and sexy as hell and holy shit-

“She’s getting close.”

“Pardon?” asked Regina, raising a brow.

“To breaking the curse. Close. There’s a full moon tomorrow and I feel… almost like I used to during a cycle. Not quite to the full extent but I feel…” She trailed off as Regina’s smirk grew.

“Almost like your old self, hm? Should we test that theory?” And then her lap was full of beautiful perfect curves and any thought of curses flew out the window.

-

“We haven’t spoken since that day at the beach, you know. Maybe the prophecy was wrong. Maybe she’s just meant to break the curse and that’s all,” Regina sighed. While at first she had been apprehensive over the thought of a newcomer throwing off their pack dynamic, she had become excited at the thought of all of the waiting coming to an end. At finally having the complete family she had wanted for her entire life.

Ruby looked at her like she was reading these thoughts out of a manual. “Regina Mills, haven’t you ever read a book? Prophecies are never wrong. They may not come to pass exactly as you expected, but they are never wrong. You as a practitioner of magic should know that.”

Regina just sighed again. “I know, my love, logically I am very aware of that fact. But that doesn’t stop my ridiculous omega hindbrain from drawing all kinds of conclusions about being constantly rejected.” She looked at Ruby like she had the answers to all of life’s mysteries.

“Regina. My darling. Light of my life, center of my universe. I love you more that anyone in this realm or any other could ever imagine. But you can be royally terrifying when you want to be. Sometimes I’m afraid you don’t realize quite how formidable you are. As a queen it suited you beautifully, and as an omega mayor in this strange, sexist land it gets the job done. However, I can understand Emma’s hesitance to seek you out. If Henry’s retelling of your first meeting is anything to go by, your mama bear mode scared the alpha straight out of her.”

The queen chuckled at this. “I can’t be held responsible for what I may or may not do when I feel that my pup is in danger.” Ruby gave her best smile and giggled, and Regina forged on. “While I understand in hindsight that she had no intention of threatening our family, and while I now have the knowledge that she is in fact destined to join our family, that doesn’t change the fact that at the time I was ready to make magic in the land without, just to blow her to pieces. I can see how she may be apprehensive about approaching me.” She steeled herself and continued, “I suppose I’ll just have to show her what a good omega I can be-”

“No!” Ruby cut her off. “That is not what I am saying. You are a queen, and you should never act as though you are not. I refuse to believe that we are destined to be with someone who will not love every single hot-headed hair on your head. She will not want you to be the quiet, submissive omega that," here she paused, preparing herself to spit the hated name into the air between them, "Cora taught you an alpha would want. The fates would not be so cruel. If Emma is truly the alpha prophesied to break Rumplestiltskin’s curse then she _must_ be our perfect match.” Ruby looked at her girlfriend, searching, “We’ve studied those words ourselves a hundred times over. We employed the best decipherers in the land. We know this to be true.” She contiunted with her intense gaze, imploring her love to see the truth in her words. “You are perfect the way you are. She will see, in time.” When Regina still didn’t look convinced, Ruby began to recite.  
-  
_Somewhere in the Enchanted Forest, two figures in black velvet cloaks trek silently through a dense wood. One is very young, barely old enough to be where he is in this moment. The other is older. Not yet elderly, but gray and tired._

“I’m just saying she’s gotten soft since taking the wolf as her beta consort. I didn’t say it was a bad thing! I certainly like waking up with the assumption that I will also be going to bed again. I meant no disrespect!”

“You never do, Simon. But you must learn to hold your tongue. I cannot retire until you have been successfully trained as a member of the Queen’s Guard, and if you cannot learn to control your own thoughts I will be a stinking corpse, succumbed to old age still in the barracks!”

Simon looks at his shoes guiltily. The old man continues, “We have sworn our lives to the throne. That means that as well as protecting them with our strength, we must also protect our Queen, and now Her Highness, with our wit. We must be diligent with our words at all times, lest we inadvertently reveal a weakness of Her Majesty’s to an enemy of the crown.”

“But we’re alone in the middle of the woods! Who- To whom will we reveal anything way out here?” Simon argues.

The old man just shakes his head. “The trees are always listening, Simon. Always. And you never know where their loyalties may lie.”

“Wise advice.”

The two men startle and reach for their swords as an unknown voice flits from the darkness. What appears to be a young girl steps out of the trees and into their path. By the dull moonlight dappling her elven face through the thick canopy, the men can see her braided hair and two pale, sightless orbs. She appears to be no older than seven summers, but the men know better.

“We have been looking for you,” says the graying man.

The girl only smiles knowingly. Her milky eyes crinkle with the warmth of a grandmother’s laughter. “I am able to help you. Your quest is noble and your hearts are true, even if young Simon is a bit bold.”

Simon makes to counter, but thinks better of it when his superior gives him a look.

The seer giggles girlishly before suddenly her spine snaps back and her arms fly straight out, as though she were accepting an embrace from the stars. In a low, rushed voice, she says:

“ _The savior born of royal kind, true in body, soul, and mind._

_The beast has hue black as night, the only one to see the light._

_The queen whose darkness was foretold, will through true love escape her mold._

_For the curse to break, a kingdom must fall. The cure is the greatest magic of all._

_Three hearts must beat, their cadence tied, or no one will be left alive._ ”

The guards stand in startled silence. A cloud passes over the moon, dissolving the forest into darkness and shadows. When it passes, the seer is gone.

Simon chuckles nervously, “Well that was ominous.”

For once, his companion does not reprimand him. Instead, he stares at the spot where the visage of a child once was, and mouths her words to himself. After a moment he turns on his heel and begins walking back the way they came. Simon scrambles to catch up before asking in a whine where they are going now.

“To see the queen.”


	5. Chapter 5

After nearly three months of living in Storybrooke, Emma had finally settled into a routine. Well, to be fair, the entire town was in a perpetual routine, so it wasn’t exactly difficult.

Every morning would begin with Emma waking up at the crack of dawn in the tiny loft bedroom of Mary Margaret’s apartment. She would dress silently before tiptoeing downstairs and out through the front door, avoiding the sight of her roommate and her married boyfriend in bed together. She would exit the apartment building and make a left onto main street, where she would head south towards the beach. By sunrise, she will have made her way to the wharf and to what she had begun to think of as _her_ bench. At first, she refused to admit to herself that she was hoping the mayor would come by again, but as weeks turned into months and casual hoping turned into open pining it was both ridiculous and sad to continue to lie about it. Even to herself.

Emma would sit (would wait) for an hour or so before heading back into town, where she would conquer her disappointment through breakfast at the diner with Ruby. Emma thought she should probably feel weird about it, and she probably would if the businesswoman were less… forthright. As time went on, Emma could swear Ruby’s skirts were getting shorter and her language more provocative.

Part of Emma wanted to be concerned that the Mayor’s partner was flirting so obviously with her, but most of her just enjoyed the company. Ruby was beautiful and witty and kind and just about the only adult person in town who paid Emma any attention whatsoever. She had even allowed the newcomer to take up bartending at the diner to combat the boredom that came with Emma’s sudden, drastic change of pace after moving from Boston to Storybrooke. It was really the only skill besides tracking criminals that Emma could boast, and the town didn’t exactly have a ton of bail jumpers running around.

Besides Ruby’s ever more obvious flirting, every morning for the last three months had been nearly identical. And it was on one of these painfully typical mornings when Emma finally breaks and asks Ruby about the town.

“Pancakes okay, Hotstuff?”

 Emma couldn’t help the smile. This beta had wriggled easily into her heart and she had no intention of letting her go. Any additional effort was for their own amusement and they both knew it.

“You know they are, Ruby. Um, I actually wanted to ask you something, if you have a minute?”

Ruby paused in collecting a bin of clean silverware and looked at her friend. Seeing how serious Emma looked, she abandoned her intended task of napkin rolling and went to lean on the counter across from the blonde. “Shoot.”

“Yeah, I just… Maybe it’s because I lived in a city for so long but… I dunno. This town is weird, Ruby.” Emma pretended not to notice how Rub’s hands froze, though the easy smile remained on her face.

“Weird how?” she asked. She gave nothing away, but it was too late. Emma’s lie detector was already pinging and a tentative plan forming in her head. Granted, the plan consisted pretty much of “figure out what the hell is going on here,” but still.

“I don’t know, maybe weird like every day is exactly the same as the one before? I mean at first I thought it was just small town life, but Ruby, you have to see how ridiculous it is. Mary Margaret tells me how she runs into the Mayor every day and drops what she’s carrying. How does that happen every day? And why do we have that conversation every single evening and not acknowledge how weird that is?

“Um-

“And it’s not just Mary Margaret either. The only people who seem to have any cognisant brain function are you, Henry, and the Mayor! And since she practically sprints the other direction anytime I’m near her, and Henry would just tell me it’s the curse, that leaves you. So please Ruby, I’m begging here, please tell me what crazy ghost story has caused this town to resemble an episode of the Twilight Zone!”

“Em...”

“And that! Everyone in this town is brain dead until I speak to them directly, and then suddenly they’re the most hostile group I’ve ever met! Except you. You’re all but married to the Mayor, but you flirt constantly with me. You give me nicknames. Why?! Generally when people develop a triad, all three parties participate in the flirting and the dating, but your omega despises me! Are you guys in some kind of open relationship? Does Henry know? Oh my god…”

“Emma, sweetheart, you need to calm down.” Emma finally looked up at the diner owner, having been staring at her plate all throughout her rant. The other woman was solemn. She was leaning heavily against the counter, arms spread, face serious. “I’ll be honest, baby. I promise that I will always be honest with you. I didn’t expect you to have these questions so soon. I thought you would chalk it all up to Henry’s book if anything.”

“I did, for awhile,” she admitted, “I thought the kid’s stories had him seeing things. But Ruby it’s been months and I’ve had that conversation with my roommate every single day. Even on weekends when she has no reason to be running into the Mayor.”

“Regina.”

“What?”

“You should call her Regina. You’re wrong, Emma. She doesn’t hate you. You make her nervous for reasons I can’t explain to you right now, but she likes you. A lot. You should use her name,” Ruby said seriously.

“But she-”

“You’re not super off base about our relationship. We work great together, and we’re so in love, but I’m still a Beta, Emma.”

Emma was confused. There were plenty of Beta-Omega pairs. Remembering a middle school health class she’d only attended half of, she was pretty sure they were something like the fourth most common relationship type after Alpha-Omega couples, triads, and Beta-Beta pairs. “Ruby I’m not following. You’re a beta… so?”

Ruby let out a long breath. “Fuck. Okay, I really need to talk to my- I need to talk to Regina before I can tell you anything. It’s sort of crazy Emma. It’s going to be really hard for you to believe us and we need to decide how and what to tell you. We thought we had more time.” Ruby looked at her apologetically, and Emma furrowed her eyebrows.

“Um, okay, I guess? Thank you for, um, being upfront. I think.”

“I’m sorry I can’t tell you what you want to hear,” and before Emma had time to decode that little nugget, she was disappearing into the back room with her silverware, leaving Emma alone in the diner.

“What the fuck?”

-

_White fur, white teeth, closer, closer._

She is being hunted. She runs and runs, yet no ground is covered. Sanctuary remains ever distant. The gleaming towers of her new home peaking above the trees just so, tempting and teasing. She runs until her paws bleed and her snout runs with fluid. She runs until her heart is pounding so strongly that she fears it will explode. Until it seems that the only deliverance must be in giving up. At least death will be quick. She holds out until she can no longer hear her panting breaths over the sound of her own blood rushing through her ears and the gold-tipped peaks of safety blur and fade from her vision. She pushes and pushes until she can no longer remember why she is bothering to fight so hard, all thoughts of love dispersing like a drop of red dye in a bowl of clear water.

It does not take long, once she gives in. Moments, and the beast is upon her. She braces for teeth and claws and pain, but they never come. A weight settles over her with a reprimanding huff, and she feels a tongue in her ear. Suddenly all thoughts of death disappear as though they had never existed to begin with. Here is home just the same as the gold peaks still winking in the setting sun.

As soon as the realization strikes, she wakes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you guys this is getting finished. It might be in 2027, but it'll get finished.
> 
> Also- this chapter was over 3500 words so I've split it into two. I haven't had the chance to proofread it more than once, so apologies for any typos or other errors!


	6. Chapter 6

 

_In a far corner of the castle, the Queen and her consort sit in a dim room. The lit fire does little to aid the cold darkness that the heart of winter always brings to the North._

 

“He’s going to kill me no matter what, my love. At least this way you can keep from darkening your heart.”

 

The air suddenly goes very still. Even the flames in the hearth seem to shrink when the queen turns her icy gaze onto her consort.

 

“Excuse me?”

 

Red swallows before repeating herself. “My love, we both know how this goes. You need the heart of the one you love most. I know you want to believe that Rocinante’s will do, but I can see in your eyes that this is false hope. If I am to die regardless, better it be saving the people of our kingdom from this curse. Without me, he has no hope of forcing you to do this.”

 

The Queen is deathly silent for a long, long moment. The wolf braces for the storm she knows will come as surely as she knows the feeling of the earth beneath her paws. It does.

 

In a low, soothing voice she says, “Red, if you are interested in suicide, then I am happy to inform you that as both consort to The Crown and a member of the royal court, your life belongs to me and no, I do not give my consent to have anyone whose life is mine maimed, killed, or otherwise destroyed. And if this is some foolhardy notion of heroism, I am happy to escort you to the dungeons where you are welcome to think for as long as you like on the difference between sacrifice for one’s people and idiotically throwing yourself into the arms of death in order to have a martyr’s song written in your name.”

 

“Regina-” Red tries, but her queen is not finished. She cuts her imprinted off with a tone that grows more hysterical with each new horrifying thought.

 

“ _Furthermore_ , I would like to know where, exactly, you received the certainty to know that Rumplestiltskin would be unable to force me to cast his curse without you? He schemed for a millenium in order to ensure the birth of my mother so that he could destroy her in order to ensure my own birth, so that he could subsequently destroy me. He is the reason my mother hated me, he is the reason Daniel died, he is the reason I was sold to the king when I was no more than a child. He planned my entire life from beginning to end. If you think he doesn’t have contingency plan upon contingency plan, then you are as dumb as the beast residing inside you!”

 

Red looks at the woman panting in front of her. Regina’s deadliest weapon is not her magic or her mind for combat and warfare, though her skill in each exceeds that of most. No, the queen’s sharpest and most deadly weapon is her words. Her ability to keep a serene disposition while verbally exposing and mutilating one’s every weakness is both formidable and… slightly arousing.

 

The wolf takes several breaths to calm herself and tries desperately not to stare at the breasts heaving in and out of the other woman’s corset. She turns to face the window, so as not to be distracted while she composes herself. She will not get angry. She will not be everything that her queen fears, the reason for this outburst in the first place.

 

Behind her, the Queen deflates. “Red- Red I’m sorry. Ruby, I don’t know what- I’m sorry my love.” Red feels her queen’s hand brush her shoulder with hesitation. “Please Ruby, please.”

 

It is the whispered plea that finally allows her to turn and face her love. Regina is clearly distraught. She has been all night, but the thought of Ruby abandoning her has only exacerbated her fears.

 

“Regina,” she starts, softly, “no matter how angry you make me, no matter what hateful words you exclaim out of fear, I will never, _ever_ leave you.” She is prepared for the tears, but not for her queen to crumple heavily into her arms. Ruby lifts the woman effortlessly and carries her into their bedchamber, where she sits her on a chair and begins the arduous task of unbuttoning petticoats and unlacing the complicated corset. It takes a long while to remove the monarch’s clothing and even longer to find the dozens of pins holding her hair in place, but eventually they are able to lay in their bed and tangle their limbs so that it is impossible to tell where one begins and the other ends.

 

It is only then that Red dares speak again. She does not know what they will do, but if she knows her queen then she knows one thing is true.

 

“We will find a way.”

 

-

 

“Ruby?”

 

The sound came from far away, but it was enough to help her shake off the last vestiges of sleep and sit up in their bed.

 

“Ruby?”

 

As the voice grew closer, Ruby began to realize how late it must be. The sun was nearly all the way up and her partner was no longer in bed beside her. She felt the cold pang of dread one feels when they realize they’ve overslept and bolted out of bed with strength and speed she hadn’t felt in nearly thirty years.

 

In her panic, she had all but forgotten the voice. The voice, however, had not forgotten her.

 

“Red what on earth are you doing?” came Regina’s voice from the other side of the bathroom door. Ruby flung the barrier open, unable to be separated from her queen even with one pant leg on and a toothbrush hanging out of her mouth. She was not surprised when she was laughed at, for she was certain she looked quite ridiculous, but she was startled when one gentle hand landed on her shoulder and another pried her toothbrush from between her lips.

 

“Wha-”

 

“Spit before you speak, darling and please relax, you’re tense enough to force a shift,” her partner teased.

 

“Regina I have to go! I have to open the diner!” she cried. Why was she not panicking? The mayor was alway the punctual one!

 

Regina laughed again, the musical sound serving as a better balm to her nerves better than any command to calm down ever would. “It’s Sunday, my love. Ashley opened the diner this morning.”

 

“But Emma…” she tried. Regina frowned at the name. She wasn’t angry with Ruby for wanting to spend time with Emma, but it was always painful to be reminded of how excluded from the relationship she had made herself.

 

“If what you told me last night is true, then I’m sure she will understand that we need to talk. And we do. Need to talk, that is.” Regina looked down and fiddled with her left ring finger, as was her habit when she was nervous. Though she had long since disposed of the golden band that had once held her prisoner to an alpha three times her age, the impulse to twist it round and round remained.

 

Ruby, of course, noticed instantly but chose to ignore it. “I know. She’s starting to freak out about the town. She’s noticed how the days never change and I think it’s making her a little crazy. I’ve noticed for a couple of weeks now, actually, but I had hoped I was wrong. Bartending seemed to help distract her for awhile, but apparently the newness has worn off and given her plenty of time to soak in everything Henry’s been telling her.” Ruby sighed. “I think we should just… tell her the truth. At least then when everything comes out we won’t have been lying to her.”

 

The mayor looked at her partner in shock for a moment before responding. “Lying? You want to tell our alpha that she’s entered a literal fairytale and you’re worried she’ll be mad about _lying_? Red, she’ll have us committed! She’ll… she’ll take Henry and leave town! She’ll leave us! No Red, no I won’t lose anyone else!”

 

“Shit,” Ruby murmured. If Regina was freaking out at the mere mention of Emma leaving, then things had progressed much further than either of them had thought. “Alright baby, alright,” she said, pulling the other woman toward her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you, honey, I’m sorry.” She continued whispering soft words to her omega until the brunette had calmed enough to pull away. They looked at each other for a long moment, each seeking comfort in the other’s gaze. Finally, Regina broke the silence.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

Ruby startled, “what? No, Regina don’t apologize for getting upset!”

 

“I am though,” Regina insisted. “I have no idea what that was. You’re right, logically I know you’re right, but the thought of her-” she cut herself off as she began to choke up again.

 

The werewolf pulled her imprinted close once more. “I think… You should think about talking to her, Regina. She wants to know you. She and I, we’ve had a really good start these last few months, but I can feel her pulling away because she doesn’t want to disrespect you. I’ve done all I can, I think.”

 

Regina nodded into her wolf's neck, but said nothing more.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I acknowledge that I said this was written with the last one, and I also acknowledge that I forgot to post it. Nobody's perfect amirite ladies?
> 
> ALSO I really fucked myself with the past tense/present tense thing... it seemed like a good idea at the time but once again I am a huge dumb idiot with zero to no impulse control who can't think logically about the future and how hard it would be to keep that up WHOOPS *upside down smiling face emoji*


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is utter garbage I'm so sorry.

It was early when Regina stepped outside. Too early, in her opinion, but sometimes one’s comfort must come second to one’s duty. Or in this case, to a terrifying conversation that one was utterly dreading. 

 

It had been several days since Regina’s near breakdown, and she and Ruby had talked at length over what they should tell their skittish alpha. It was logical to assume that she would try to run after having the truth and their hearts laid at her feet, so they must do everything within their power to make her stay. Regina considered herself to be a very distinguished woman, but she was certainly not above begging, and she would play dirty if she had to. Nothing was off limits; the curse must be broken. 

 

Or so she told herself. Her emotions were like oil poured in water. They lay at the surface, iridescent and visible to anyone who cared to look. It was how, despite Ruby’s previous affirmations, she was sure the curse was weakening. Her body, like everyone else’s, had been in stasis for twenty-eight years, but now it was catching up to where it had been the day the curse was cast. Highly emotional, itching all over the body, fatigue, unusually high appetite… oh yes her body was certainly catching up to where it had been.

 

-

 

_ A wolf paces up and down a long hallway. Her dark fur makes a stark contrast against the pale stone walls and deep indigo carpeting. Two soldiers dressed in all black stand guard before a huge wooden door. They track the beast with cautious eyes, but remain carefully still. The sound of silence permeates their every pore, the tension radiating from the vicious predator causing nervous sweat to stink up to corridor. Still they do not move. She is nearly to their shoulders in height, and they know better than to think she is any less aware of them than they are of her. They do not waver in their duty. She does not waver in hers. Together they wait. _

 

“I wish you wouldn’t pout,” Regina complains. “You and I both know what would have happened if I had allowed you to accompany me.”

 

“I do not like to leave you alone with anyone who is not a close friend,  _ Majesty _ . You know this,” came the sullen reply.

 

“Gustav is hardly my enemy, Ruby, he’s been a trusted member of my guard for many years,” Regina says calmly.

 

Ruby growls lightly. “He is an employee looking towards retirement, his mind is confused. Perhaps he is only saying what he thinks will get him his pension the fastest.”

The Queen sits back for a moment and examines her counterpart. Though Ruby is in her human form, Regina has known her long enough to tell when her hackles are raised.

 

“You are jealous,” she says.

 

“Of Gustav? Hardly.”

 

“No,” the Queen insists, “You are angry about the prophecy. ‘Three hearts must beat.’ You and I both knows that this means we will someday have an alpha, hence your irritation. Tell me,” she says darkly, “Is it because you do not like to share your belongings, or because you will no longer be the highest ranking participant in this relationship?”

 

The wolf snaps to look at her mate in shock, looking for all the world as though she’s just been slapped. “Regina you cannot possibly think that to be true! You- you’re the queen”

 

“Oh am I? I had forgotten whilst watching your alpha wolf sulk in the corner,” she replies.

 

Ruby hesitates, but she can see that answers will be had, and they will be had now. It has taken them a long time to reach this point. A lot of fights that could have been avoided had they just communicated with one another. They had long ago determined that this would not be the case again so long as they could help it.

 

“I am... apprehensive at the thought of bringing another into what we have. I have been alone for so much of my life, and the thought that I do not give you all that you need makes it difficult for me to see that you will want me at all once this strong alpha savior comes along. Forgive me my love, I know I am being foolish,” she says, looking down and fiddling with a bit of string that has come loose from the bedfurs. She looks up when she feels a finger beneath her chin. Her omega gazes deeply into her eyes, making sure to have her full attention, before she says with unadulterated conviction,

 

“On my love, My Life, Ruby, I will never leave you alone.”

 

“But-”

 

“No. No matter who else comes along, no matter how well this alpha fits into our life, they will never replace the home I have found with you. No one can ever give me all that you have.  _ I love you. _ ”

 

Ruby smiles up at her love, her imprinted, her queen. “And I you.”

 

-

 

“Ruby said you might be here, but I must admit I had hoped she would be wrong.”

 

The mayor took a small bit of pleasure in watching Emma Swan jump a full foot in the air before turning to face her. She felt less like the rug was about to be pulled out from under her when her opponent had already been knocked off their feet.

 

“Madam Mayor! I didn’t- I wasn’t! Er,” the woman paused for a breath, “How, how are you? Today? Hello.”

 

Regina smiled, her heart warm at the sight of this flustered alpha trying to gain some traction.

 

“I am well dear, thank you. May I sit?” she gestured to the now abandoned bench behind the blonde woman.

 

The alpha seemed surprised. As though Regina could be here to do calisthenics rather than sit and watch the sunrise. The Queen rolled her eyes at the thought.

 

“Um, yes. Yes! Of course, you sit. I’ll just, um. I’ll just be go-”

 

“You will sit with me, Emma,” Regina said calmly.

 

“Oh. Oh! Me? Um yeah okay.”

 

Regina sighed. Clearly she had made a much bigger ass of herself than she’d originally thought. This would surely take some effort to undo.

 

The two sat in silence for a long while, both trying to find the words to break through the wall that had been built between them. It was Emma who succeeded first.

 

“So... you said Rubes told you I would be here?” she asked hopefully. Maybe that had talked after all. Maybe she would have a chance at being just a bit closer to this little family she had begun to fall for.

 

Regina hesitated for a moment before answering truthfully. “She did. And she told me of her promise to be honest with you, so I will not lie on her behalf. She has been encouraging me to seek you out. I hoped you wouldn’t be here so that I would be able to put off this conversation for that much longer.” 

 

“Yeah it’s not exactly hard to tell when you’re being avoided,” Emma said, unable to keep a hint of bitterness out of her voice. The mayor’s shoulders hunched in guilt. “Hey, no, I’m sorry, I don’t know why I said that.”

 

“Because it is the truth, Miss Swan. I can hardly blame you. But you must understand that there is far more at play here than my own fear.”

 

Emma nodded slowly. “Ruby told you about my questions,” she said matter-of-factly. 

 

“Yes.”

 

“And you’re either here to threaten me into leaving town-”

 

“ _ What? _ ”

 

“Or to answer them.”

 

“Are you always this dramatic?” 

 

The blonde gave the other woman her most charming grin. “I do try.”

 

Regina chuckled half-heartedly. “I am not here to force you to leave town, Miss Swan. However I do fear that after this day you will surely want to.” 

 

Emma cocked her head as she studied the woman next to her. The mayor looked tired. Her makeup was impeccable as always, but Emma could see the hint of bags beneath her eyes, and her dark hair, normally perfectly flat ironed and styled, was pulled back into a tight bun leaving just her bangs hanging to the side. The pristinely laundered pantsuit that would normally grace the woman’s beautiful body (you best believe Emma had been looking) had been replaced by tight, dark blue jeans and a simple blouse. Clearly she had no intention of going into the office today. In all of the months Emma had been in Storybrooke, the mayor had not once taken a personal day. All in all, the woman looked like she really wanted to go back to bed.

 

“I know that I have a reputation, Madame Mayor, but I can assure you that I am only looking for answers. I promise not to do anything rash until I have all of the facts,” she said softly, trying to reassure the distressed woman. Had Regina always given off such strong pheromones? Emma had always thought her to be the type to hide her true feelings as much as possible. But then, she’d only spent a small handful of time with the omega.

 

Regina whipped around to look at the deputy. “Do not patronize me, Miss Swan. I can assure  _ you _ that just because I am an omega, I am not incapable of analyzing my own emotions.” The alpha floundered at the sudden change of pace. It was said with so much bitterness that Emma had to wonder what had been done to this woman to cause her to lash out with such vehemence at the mere suggestion that she was being looked down on.

 

Emma quickly put her hands up and her head down in a show of submission. “I would never patronize you, Regina, I promise. I’m sorry.” This seemed to be enough to placate the other woman.

 

Silence permeated the air once again. The both stared out over the atlantic ocean before them, each woman lost in her own thoughts. 

 

Finally Regina managed to clear her throat and say dejectedly, “I apologize for snapping at you. It was uncalled for.” She got up to leave

Emma’s heart nearly broke. “It’s fine Regina. It’s really fine,” she reached out to the woman but didn’t touch her. “Stay? Please?” But the mayor was already shaking her head. 

 

“You want answers, Emma, and Ruby and I agree that you deserve them. But not here. Do you work tonight?” The deputy shook her head in the negative. “Good,” she said firmly. “Come over for dinner then. Once Henry is asleep, we’ll explain everything.” With that she turned and began walking back towards the road where her car was parked at a meter.

 

“Regina?” she heard from behind her. She turned, eyebrow raised, back to the alpha. “Thank you.”

 

“Six-thirty, Miss Swan.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ayyooo catch me w that Hamilton reference B)

**Author's Note:**

> For any questions or updates, follow me at xx-iv-mcmxcv.tumblr.com


End file.
